The United States has traditionally been known as the “melting pot,” a place in which people of all backgrounds and cultures can live and pursue security.
Within the past two years, the very foundations of the American immigrant identity have been challenged in forceful and overt ways. A Muslim ban, increased hostile deportations, and the detention of immigrant children separated from their parents are just a few of the most obvious examples of how U.S. policy has turned xenophobic. Now, recent reports reveal that the country has admitted one of the lowest recorded numbers of refugees in history.
The 2018 fiscal year (FY) ended on September 30, and with it disclosed information from the State Department that less than half the number of refugees in FY 2017 had been admitted (53,716) and about one-quarter admitted in 2016 (84,994). In FY 2018, a mere 22,491 refugees were admitted.
A State Department official commented that the low numbers were “consistent with operational capacity to implement new screening and vetting procedures following Executive Order 13780, Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States.” Essentially as a second attempt at the “travel ban” issued by the Trump Administration in March 2017, this order is an effort to further curtail the immigration of those from predominantly Muslim nations. Even more problematic is the fact that the low number of refugees admitted in FY 2018 does not even reach the cap on admission the administration had set for the year at 45,000. Originally, the administration had proposed to lower the cap for FY 2019 by 33% to 30,000, though it has superseded its own reduction efforts.
According to the UNHCR, a refugee is someone who has been “forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war or violence.” Many refugees looking to come to the U.S. seek “asylum,” or the right to be recognized as a refugee and receive legal protection and material assistance. The impact of refugees resettled in the country has been proven to be overwhelming positive, with contributions made civically, economically, and socially. Those seeking a new life in the U.S. for themselves and their families often have even supported the country by acting as translators during wartime or offering otherwise invaluable assistance to efforts overseas. Now, many are looking to flea unrest and find sanctuary in the country and people they once aided.
For over three decades, the U.S. has held the tradition of admitting more refugees than the rest of the world combined, with more than 3 million having been settled since 1975. With the new restrictions to resettlement, the role of the U.S. as a champion of humanity is now being called into question.
Humanitarian organizations have denounced the actions of the Trump Administration for effectively turning its back on the global community and those most who are most defenseless against violence. Vice President of Policy and Advocacy for the International Rescue Committee, Nazanin Ash, has said: “The Administration has chosen to further cut the number of refugees who will be admitted to the U.S., undermining a powerful tool to help the most vulnerable populations, aid the most unstable regions, and advance U.S. security and strategic interests.”